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Strategies, Advances, and Challenges in Breeding Perennial Grain Crops

Author

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  • Timothy E. Crews

    (The Land Institute, 2440 E. Water Well Rd., Salina, KS 67401, USA)

  • Douglas J. Cattani

    (Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, 66 Dafoe Road, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada)

Abstract

The development of new perennial crop species is gaining momentum as a promising approach to change the fundamental nature of ecosystem processes in agriculture. The ecological argument for perennial crops grown in polycultures is strong, but until recently, perennial herbaceous grain crops have been absent from agricultural landscape. This is not because perennial herbaceous species do not exist in nature—there are thousands of perennial grasses, legumes, and other broad leaf plants. Rather, for a variety of reasons, early farmers focused on cultivating and domesticating annuals, and the perennial herbs were largely ignored. Today, we have a tremendous opportunity to explore another agricultural path. Building on contemporary knowledge of plant biology and genetics that early farmers lacked, and using a rapidly expanding toolbox that includes sophisticated genomic and analytical approaches, we can develop viable perennial grain crops. These crops can then be used to assemble diverse agroecosystems that regenerate soils and capture other important ecosystem functions.

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy E. Crews & Douglas J. Cattani, 2018. "Strategies, Advances, and Challenges in Breeding Perennial Grain Crops," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-7, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:7:p:2192-:d:154704
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    5. Tiziano Gomiero, 2016. "Soil Degradation, Land Scarcity and Food Security: Reviewing a Complex Challenge," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-41, March.
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    7. Anna Westerbergh & Estelle Lerceteau-Köhler & Mohammad Sameri & Girma Bedada & Per-Olof Lundquist, 2018. "Towards the Development of Perennial Barley for Cold Temperate Climates—Evaluation of Wild Barley Relatives as Genetic Resources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-16, June.
    8. Qing-Fu Chen & Xiao-Yan Huang & Hong-You Li & Li-Juan Yang & Ya-Song Cui, 2018. "Recent Progress in Perennial Buckwheat Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-17, February.
    9. M. Kathryn Turner & Damian Ravetta & David Van Tassel, 2018. "Effect of Puccinia silphii on Yield Components and Leaf Physiology in Silphium integrifolium : Lessons for the Domestication of a Perennial Oilseed Crop," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-12, March.
    10. Lee DeHaan & Marty Christians & Jared Crain & Jesse Poland, 2018. "Development and Evolution of an Intermediate Wheatgrass Domestication Program," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, May.
    11. Alejandra Vilela & Luciana González-Paleo & Kathryn Turner & Kelsey Peterson & Damián Ravetta & Timothy E. Crews & David Van Tassel, 2018. "Progress and Bottlenecks in the Early Domestication of the Perennial Oilseed Silphium integrifolium , a Sunflower Substitute," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-23, February.
    12. Douglas J. Cattani & Sean R. Asselin, 2018. "Has Selection for Grain Yield Altered Intermediate Wheatgrass?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    13. Richard C. Hayes & Shuwen Wang & Matthew T. Newell & Kathryn Turner & Jamie Larsen & Laura Gazza & James A. Anderson & Lindsay W. Bell & Douglas J. Cattani & Katherine Frels & Elena Galassi & Alexey I, 2018. "The Performance of Early-Generation Perennial Winter Cereals at 21 Sites across Four Continents," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-28, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Patrick M. LeHeiget & Emma J. McGeough & Bill Biligetu & Douglas J. Cattani, 2023. "Grain Yield Potential of Intermediate Wheatgrass in Western Canada," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-20, September.
    2. Stan Cox & Pheonah Nabukalu & Andrew H. Paterson & Wenqian Kong & Shakirah Nakasagga, 2018. "Development of Perennial Grain Sorghum," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, January.
    3. Douglas John Cattani & Sean Robert Asselin, 2022. "Early Plant Development in Intermediate Wheatgrass," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-14, June.
    4. Sandile Birthwell Ndwandwe & Ruey-Chee Weng, 2018. "Competitive Analyses of the Pig Industry in Swaziland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-22, November.
    5. Shilai Zhang & Guangfu Huang & Yujiao Zhang & Xiutao Lv & Kejiang Wan & Jian Liang & Yupeng Feng & Jinrong Dao & Shukang Wu & Lin Zhang & Xu Yang & Xiaoping Lian & Liyu Huang & Lin Shao & Jing Zhang &, 2023. "Sustained productivity and agronomic potential of perennial rice," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 28-38, January.
    6. Heather E. Schier & Kathrin A. Eliot & Sterling A. Herron & Lauren K. Landfried & Zoë Migicovsky & Matthew J. Rubin & Allison J. Miller, 2019. "Comparative Analysis of Perennial and Annual Phaseolus Seed Nutrient Concentrations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-18, May.

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